


Beach City Dog Days

by literaryFRIVOLOUSneophyte



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Menstruation, Summer, Trans Character, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-31
Updated: 2015-03-31
Packaged: 2018-03-20 12:37:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3650595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literaryFRIVOLOUSneophyte/pseuds/literaryFRIVOLOUSneophyte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steven gets his first period.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beach City Dog Days

On a Saturday afternoon so hot that the heat bounces off the sidewalk in shimmering waves, the ice cream truck failed to come to the boardwalk with its familiar jingle and promise of cold Cookie Cats and other frozen treats the Big Donut didn't stock. Steven takes off his sandals and sits down in the sand, glancing around once more to see if he could spot the truck coming down the road. A car passes by with the windows down, and he licks his dry lips, watching the kid in the passenger seat take a sip from their lemonade.

The tops of his feet are sunburned, but the feel of the wet sand between his toes makes it hurt a little less. After he came home yesterday looking like a ripe tomato, Pearl made him put on an entire bottle of sunblock. Then she used the sunscreen spray as he walked out the door.

“Don't talk to strangers, look both ways before crossing the street, and make sure you're home before seven,” she fussed, rubbing the sunblock on his face.

“Do we need to put some in his hair?” Garnet asked as she squeezed out the last drop of sunblock.

He mumbled, “I don't think hair can get sunburned,” but Pearl was already smearing it over his head.

“Get me a chocolate cone,” Amethyst said from her place on the couch. “And some fries, but not the big ones, just the little burned parts.”

“Like fry ends?” Steven said.

“Nah, more like...” Her straw made a hollow sucking sound as she slurped down the rest of her smoothie. “The burned stuff that gets caught in the fryers, the little bits they don't sell. Fry bits. Oh yeah, and if they don't have chocolate, strawberry is cool too. Thanks, little man.”

His tongue feels like sandpaper against the roof of his mouth. He puts his empty water bottle to his forehead, but the beads of water have evaporated and the plastic is burning hot to the touch. Another look around the boardwalk tells him that the ice cream truck definitely isn't coming today. Summertime in Beach City means crowds bustling through Funland, waiting in full lines at the arcade and bathrooms, or sunbathing on the beach. But today is too hot for tourists – the boardwalk is deserted, and even Beach Citywalk Fries has closed up early.

He doesn't know why it makes him feel so emotional, but he can feel his throat closing up and tears building. He has a hole forming in the thighs of his shorts from his legs rubbing together, his head is starting to hurt from the heat, he has nothing to drink, he can't get any ice cream or fries, and he is _bleeding._

When he went to the bathroom and found a red spot in his underwear, Steven didn't know what to tell the gems. He worried he would upset them, and, even as the cramps kicked in, causing the gems stress was the last thing he wanted to do. So he didn't tell them. He stuffed his underwear with toilet paper and waited for it to stop, but now he wishes he had just stayed home and watched TV with Amethyst.

He sniffs and wipes his running nose on his sleeve. When he gets up, he tries to ignore the gross squishy feeling in his pants and the pain in his stomach. He slips back on his sandals and makes his way towards Greg's car wash. He could get some donuts instead, but Big Donuts is too far away and he doesn't feel like making the walk there.

The air conditioner hits him in the face as soon as the door to the shop opens. He falls into the bean bag chair his dad keeps behind the counter for when Steven visits, and he finds a nice cold Pepsi in the mini fridge. Already he feels better, but the door opens and he quickly rubs his eyes to hide the fact that he's been crying.

“Hey, Steven!” his dad greets him. “What a heat wave we're stuck in, huh?”

“Yeah,” he agrees quietly.

Greg bends down to look at him. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Uh...” Steven cracks open the soda, and the fizz comes pouring out over his fingers. “I dunno, I think there's something wrong with me.” Before his dad can reassure him, he spills the truth. “I don't know what I did but I'm bleeding and it hurts but not in a scrapped knee kind of hurt, more like a weird headache kind of hurt, but in my stomach, and it hasn't stopped bleeding and I started crying just 'cause the ice cream truck wasn't there and I really want some ice cream and I want to stop bleeding but I don't want to freak out the gems and I'm sorry if I freak you out -”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down there, Steven. Do you need some bandages or..?” He squints at Steven. “Where is it hurting? Your stomach? Do I need to take you to the hospital?”

“Maybe,” Steven whines. “It hurts really bad and I don't like it. It's _gross._ You're not supposed to bleed from... _there._ ”

“From where?”

“From _there._ You know. _That place._ ”

It takes a moment but Greg's eyes widen when he gets it. “Oh. Oh! You don't need to worry about that. That's perfectly normal for people your age. Uh, shoot, the gems probably don't know anything about this sort of thing. I would get you one of those books that explain it but they're all aimed at girls -”

“Does this -” Steven feels the tears coming back - “make me a girl?”

Greg sits down on the floor besides him. “No, no, it means you're growing up, is all. You're a big man now!” He ruffles Steven's hair. “I heard if you put a hot water bottle on your stomach, it helps with the pain. Want me to get one for you?”

“Can I get a hug first?”

Greg laughs and picks him up into a suffocating bear hug. “Of course, son.”

Trying not to drop his soda, Steven wheezes and giggles into his shoulder.


End file.
